Non-motoring > Electrocuted horses at Newbury?	Miscellaneous
Thread Author: bathtub tom	Replies: 32

New Sun 13 Feb 11 21:56   Electrocuted horses at Newbury? - bathtub tom

A popular newspaper states online: "because Fenix Two and Marching Song were wearing steel shoes, the current passed through their bodies unlike the other horses that were wearing aluminium plates" Can anyone explain to me what difference the material of the horseshoes would make to the conductivity in this case? The power lines near me were aluminium AFAIK. Reply to this message | Report message

New Sun 13 Feb 11 22:25   Electrocuted horses at Newbury? - sherlock47

I cannot believe it would make any difference unless the aluminium was heavily anodised. Or do they coat them with plastic or rubber to improve grip for racing. I would have thought that horse shoes were secured into the bony structure of the hoof which is probably a good insulator anyway. Four legged animals are supposedly prone to electrocution from voltage gradients in the ground - I can only assume that this is because the current path from back to front legs will involve current passing thro the heart and disturbing normal heart function. ( In the past , pre H&E days, Standard working practice for humans was to work on some live equipment with one hand in a pocket - to avoid the possibility of hand-to-heart-to-hand shocks). Last edited by: pmh on Sun 13 Feb 11 at 22:26 Reply to this message | Report message

New Sun 13 Feb 11 22:27   Electrocuted horses at Newbury? - Zero

In horses small voltages and currents screw up the nervous system far more than ours. Reply to this message | Report message

New Sun 13 Feb 11 22:28   Electrocuted horses at Newbury? - sherlock47

I have just discovered that some horses use glued plastic shoes for racing - maybe that is the difference -poor reporting? Last edited by: pmh on Sun 13 Feb 11 at 22:29 Reply to this message | Report message

New Sun 13 Feb 11 22:29   Electrocuted horses at Newbury? - Slidingpillar

Firstly, the popular newspaper may be talking out of its bottom. I imagine their theory is because aluminium on cutting, forms aluminium oxide very fast. The metal is a good conductor, the oxide a good insulator. But I'd have thought a horse shoe would have been pretty clear of oxide. True that horses (and cows) are pretty easy to electrocute as the hoof is actually a good conductor and is rather bonded to the animal. However, humans vary on how much current kills and I imagine so do horses. Plus you have to consider where the current was going so I'd have thought very unlikely all horses got the same shock. I'd wait for the full investigation myself, the shoe material may be a red herring. Tragic accident though. Last edited by: Slidingpillar on Sun 13 Feb 11 at 22:32 Reply to this message | Report message

New Sun 13 Feb 11 22:33   Electrocuted horses at Newbury? - Bellboy

i had an accumulator bet on the horses too :-( only kidding very very sad but then i hate to see horse racing full stop very cruel Reply to this message | Report message

New Sun 13 Feb 11 22:47   Electrocuted horses at Newbury? - merlin

I don't understand this at all. Maybe someone here can explain how electricity could be a factor. I was always taught that electricity will find the shortest path to ground using the path of least resistance. So how can it come out of the ground, through the horses body and then back into the ground again? Reply to this message | Report message

New Sun 13 Feb 11 22:53   Electrocuted horses at Newbury? - Zero

Seemples, two areas of ground at different electrical potential, horse comes along and acts as a shunt, or fuse. Reply to this message | Report message

New Sun 13 Feb 11 22:58   Electrocuted horses at Newbury? - R.P.

Ampdown races ? Reply to this message | Report message

New Sun 13 Feb 11 22:59   Electrocuted horses at Newbury? - bathtub tom

Depends on their current form? Reply to this message | Report message

New Sun 13 Feb 11 23:01   Electrocuted horses at Newbury? - Zero

Was anyone riding their chargers? Last edited by: Zero on Sun 13 Feb 11 at 23:02 Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 14 Feb 11 00:25   Electrocuted horses at Newbury? - Londoner

>> Was anyone riding their chargers? >> Yes, it was a dress rehearsal for a demonstration of "The Charge of the Light Brigade". Not strictly on the racing schedule, but the organisers wanted to get in a plug for it. They were hoping it would generate some interest. Last edited by: Londoner on Mon 14 Feb 11 at 00:26 Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 14 Feb 11 00:35   Electrocuted horses at Newbury? - VxFan

>> They were hoping it would generate some interest. Watt? Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 14 Feb 11 00:45   Electrocuted horses at Newbury? - Bromptonaut

A battery of tests required to determine the cause. Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 14 Feb 11 00:47   Electrocuted horses at Newbury? - VxFan

Somehow I don't think these hybrid race horses will catch on. Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 14 Feb 11 08:00   Electrocuted horses at Newbury? - Iffy

It doesn't surprise me that some of the peasants on here don't understand the appeal of the Sport of Kings. One is either comfortable and accepted in such an environment, or one is not. :) Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 14 Feb 11 10:20   Electrocuted horses at Newbury? - VxFan

>> It doesn't surprise me that some of the peasants on here .... No need to put yourself down dear boy. Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 14 Feb 11 12:23   Electrocuted horses at Newbury? - Mapmaker

>>Can anyone explain to me what difference the material of the horseshoes would make to >>the conductivity in this case? I was going to post exactly the same on here. Bizarre suggestion. Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 14 Feb 11 12:51   Electrocuted horses at Newbury? - Armel Coussine

I was absolutely infuriated by the BBC news coverage of this. Showed a couple of horses looking mildly skittish in the paddock and then cut to a shot of two horses decently covered with blankets in an empty paddock with the words: 'The rest of the clip is too distressing to show.' What's supposed to be so damn distressing about a couple of horses being electrocuted? Does the BBC think we are all nervous three-year-olds? Anyone would think these people hadn't spent their childhoods in knackers' yards like the rest of us. Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 14 Feb 11 14:02   Electrocuted horses at Newbury? - Tooslow

This is the same BBC news coverage that says every night " the clip contains flash photography". :-( John Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 14 Feb 11 16:00   Electrocuted horses at Newbury? - Slidingpillar

Because if there is, and they don't, the flash induced epileptics might sue. Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 14 Feb 11 17:21   Electrocuted horses at Newbury? - Bellboy

yep had an indicator bulb like that on off on off on off nearly changed it for a off on off on off on one Reply to this message | Report message       1

New Mon 14 Feb 11 17:45   Electrocuted horses at Newbury? - hobby

You should drive a BMW, BB, they are great for epileptics as they don't have indicators.... Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 14 Feb 11 18:04   Electrocuted horses at Newbury? - Cpt. Flack

Ohm my God. It was touch and go with the crowd. The horses nearly volted the barrier. Reply to this message | Report message

New Tue 15 Feb 11 10:09   Electrocuted horses at Newbury? - Jetski

On the BBC Midlands news last night they said one of the horses had "local connections". Reply to this message | Report message

New Tue 15 Feb 11 10:25   Electrocuted horses at Newbury? - VxFan

I wonder what the racecourse owners will be charged with? Reply to this message | Report message

New Tue 15 Feb 11 10:25   Electrocuted horses at Newbury? - Hard Cheese

Was it a jump meeting, being broadcast live ... Actually it is quite a sad affair, clearly an accident though, my first thought was poisoning when I heard the radio reports. Reply to this message | Report message

New Tue 15 Feb 11 10:29   Electrocuted horses at Newbury? - Zero

We are cruel, but yes it is sad. A race horse is a magnificent, albeit skittish and temperamental, animal. Reply to this message | Report message

New Tue 15 Feb 11 10:37   Electrocuted horses at Newbury? - VxFan

>> We are cruel, Us brits tend to make light of disasters and invent jokes. I remember an sms joke forum I used to look at. As you would expect, there were several different nationalities who read it. Any non brits tended to get upset whenever people made jokes of disasters and accidents on there. eg, the Space shuttle disaster, Steve Irwin, to name but a couple. Reply to this message | Report message

New Tue 15 Feb 11 10:44   Electrocuted horses at Newbury? - Fenlander

>>>Actually it is quite a sad affair Yes as a horse rider/owner on and off for 40yrs it is very sad to see them die. It is being said a length of cable has been removed from the paddock for examination... also that spiking work to improve paddock drainage in the previous days may have been a factor. If that's true it reinforces the issue of not carrying out any ground probing or excavation without prior scanning with a cable detector. Of course Health & Safety advise doing this but folks hate H&S even if it can save lives. Reply to this message | Report message

New Tue 15 Feb 11 11:03   Electrocuted horses at Newbury? - Iffy

...also that spiking work to improve paddock drainage in the previous days may have been a factor... I take cock-up over conspiracy every time, so that makes a lot of sense. Reply to this message | Report message

New Tue 15 Feb 11 11:25   Electrocuted horses at Newbury? - Fenlander

>>>conspiracy Mrs F's immediate thought as she watched the racing on the day was the trialling of some new Martian death ray type thing..... But that is her line of work so she's always looking for the unusual. Reply to this message | Report message

New Tue 15 Feb 11 11:33   Electrocuted horses at Newbury? - Iffy

... of some new Martian death ray type thing..... There were suspicions of that a few years ago when a horse behaved very strangely on the run-in. You can always rely on racing for coming up with tremendous stories. Dick Francis made his up, but his time as a jockey must have provided him with plenty of inspiration. Reply to this message | Report message